Esuks
Esuks [E-suks]
"Water is Blood & Blood is Water."
Water both sea and fresh are the most
important theme in the Esunian mythical belief system. Places of water are
sacred sites, and there is belief that water spirits live at the bottom of
waterfalls and within larger rivers.
Al'shae Oaris is primarily worshipped by the Esuks as Al'shae Oaris is the
supreme god of the rain. He was widely worshipped as a beneficent giver of life
and sustenance, as well as feared for his ability to create earthquakes beneath
the seas which cause tsunamis, as well as creating hurricanes and withholding
rain and the bounties of the sea.
The statue of Al'shae Oaris was built in stone and rolled into the sea where all
sacrifices take place in his honour. Esuks were once a slavers kingdom and would
sacrifice slaves for good rains or a plentiful sea-harvest. This practice has
been outlawed since King Valentiln conquered Esuna in 1055 and put an end to
owning slaves.
All life depends upon and surrounds the sea, rain and water. Snakes are sacred
as Al’shae Oaris takes the form of sea serpents. Once adolescents are of age to
marry they will partake in a python dance where they dance fluidly like a snake
to the beat of drums while forming a chain by holding the forearm of the person
in front. Once a wife has been chosen a set of courtship and grooming rituals
take place over a number of days.
The Esuks are known for their female warriors, especially those that once
protected the King, and called themselves the King’s wives. Most of these were
young unmarried women who were recruited as young as 8 years old. Known for
their aggressive character traits, this regiment offered women the opportunity
to "rise to positions of command and influence" in an environment structured for
individual empowerment.
The Esunian military is still a force to reckon with and military coups have
taken place historically. The Esuk troops are a fearsome sight, barefoot and
bristling with clubs and knives. A few, known as Reapers, are armed with
gleaming three-foot-long straight razors, each wielded two-handed and capable of
slicing a man clean in two. Women fully trained as warriors were thought to
“become” men, usually at the moment they disembowelled their first enemy. Once a
woman does so, she is seen as equal to her male counterparts and spiritually
‘male.’
Sacrifices still occur to Al'shae but now are criminals who are sentenced to the death penalty and are ritually drowned in the ocean. Many of the other Esuk ceremonies and rituals have been outlawed or have had to go into hiding due to the Camarian Empire.
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Additional Traits:
Spirit of the Sea:
Raised amid the kingdom known as the Esuks, your predilection for watery
environs has been strong since birth and you know how to survive while in or
alongside the ocean. You gain +2 to swim & survival when either in or near the
sea, and one of these skills becomes a class skill for you.
Seafarer: You’re familiar with the coastlines, currents, and tides of the Unclouded Straight, and can use that knowledge anywhere. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (nature) and Knowledge (geography) checks while on the ocean as well as +2 trait bonus on Profession (sailor.)
